* The strike is almost over, but Jericho still stands to be one of its biggest beneficiaries, since the aftereffects have wiped some of the competition off the schedule for the seven-episode second season, saved by the efforts of fans and the legacy of George Washington Carver. In the new season, we begin to learn much more about what has happened to the United States after the nuclear attack–for starters, it’s two countries, and the “Allied States of America,” west of the Mississippi, appears to be run by some shady characters. The show also throws in some allusions to war-on-terror paranoia, as there’s an effort to scapegoat Iran and North Korea for the attack. As I’ve written, I thought the new episodes I’ve seen were much improved by the curtailed episode order, which seems to have tightened the storytelling focus and picked up the pace. I didn’t like the new episodes so much, though, that I see myself watching twice, so feel free to discuss in the comments.

* On the other hand, if you prefer to believe that the world will end not with a bang but with a whimper, you can look to the new edition of Big Brother tonight as one of the sources of whimpering. It’s no Paradise Hotel, but still!